Pilgrimage flier

FRANCE:
In the Footsteps of the Dominicans

April 29 - May 8, 2009

I invite the parishioners of St. Vincent Ferrer and all friends of the Order of Preachers to join me on this pilgrimage to the great Dominican shrines of France. Beginning in Marseilles and ending in Paris, our travels will span several ages of the Church’s history. From St. Mary Magdalen in the first century to St. Vincent Ferrer in the fifteenth, we will meet the saints and visit the places instrumental to the foundation and growth of the Order of Preachers.

Our pilgrimage will include daily Mass, times for prayer, and visits with various Dominican communities. Of course, we will also experience the best of France’s history, architecture, and culture.

We dedicate this pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rosary, whose maternal intercession has enlived the Dominican Order since its foundation. May St. Dominic and St. Vincent Ferrer, too, strengthen us with their prayers as we visit their shrines and trace their footsteps through France.

For more information, contact the me at the parish office (212-744-2080), or call Corporate Travel Service at 313-565-8888, ext. 121.

Itinerary

Day 1: New York/Marseille
Depart New York on transatlantic flight to Marseille.

Day 2: Marseille
 Upon your arrival at Marseille airport you will be met by your professional escort and transferred to your hotel.  Celebrate Mass or Vespers at the Dominican Priory. Welcome Dinner hosted by your escort and overnight in Marseille.

Day 3: Marseille
 After breakfast enjoy a guided panoramic tour of the town of Marseille. Celebrate Mass at St. Victor Abbey where Cassian founded two monasteries, one for men, the other for women. In the crypt of St. Victor lay formerly the remains of Cassian, also those of Saints Maurice, Marcellinus, and Peter, the body of one of the Holy Innocents, and Bishop St. Mauront. This afternoon visit Sainte Baume where tradition holds Mary Magdalen lived. Dinner and overnight in Marseille.

Day4: Marseille/Carcassonne/Toulouse
 After breakfast depart for Toulouse. Stop en route at the medieval section of Carcassonne, where you will have some free time to tour the city. Celebrate Mass at Saint Michel Cathedral, parts of which stood during St. Dominic’s visits in the early thirteenth century. After ravaged by fire in 1849, Viollet-le-Duc launched major restoration work that lasted for almost 20 years. Continue to Toulouse with a stop in the country town of Castelnaudary, time permitting. Dinner and overnight in Toulouse.

Day5: Toulouse/Fanjeaux/Toulouse
 This morning, tour St. Sernin Basilica, one of the biggest in the western world, housing a treasure trove of reliquaries including St. Saturnin, the martyred bishop of the city. Next visit Peter Seila’s house, the first home of the Dominicans in Toulouse. Celebrate Mass at Couvent des Jacobins over the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas (if special arrangements can be made). This afternoon travel to Fanjeaux, the center of St. Dominic’s preaching before he founded the Order. See the Church, St. Dominic’s house and the Prouille Monastery, the first monastery of women founded by St. Dominic. Overnight in Toulouse.

Day 6: Toulouse/Vannes
 After breakfast depart for Vannes, a port on the Gulf of Morbihan, and a magical place where sea, land and sky mingle to form changing and exceptional landscapes. Stop en route in Bordeaux and experience its beautiful landscape. Also celebrate Mass en route. Dinner and overnight in Vannes. 

Day 7: Vannes
This morning take a guided visit and celebrate Mass at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, an essential monument in the walled town, dominating its surroundings from its site at the top of the Ménéhill. A reconstruction of the Roman Cathedral was conducted during the 15th century. The old cathedral had become too dilapidated and too small for the pilgrimages that had developed around the tomb of Saint Vincent Ferrer, who died in Vannes in 1419 and was buried under the chancel of the cathedral. During the Counter-Reformation, the church was provided with fresh religious furniture, such as the Baroque altarpiece dedicated toSaint-Vincent. Afternoon free. Overnight in Vannes.

Day 8 Vannes/Chartres/Paris
After breakfast, depart for Paris. Stop en route in Chartres to visit and celebrate Mass at the world famous Notre-Dame Cathedral of Chartres. Built and embellished between 1134 and 1260, it was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites and is considered to be one of the best examples of High Gothic Architecture. Continue to Paris for overnight stay. 

Day 9: Paris
After breakfast, visit the Cathedrale de Notre-Dame, as well as, Dominican Shrines such as the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Genevieve and the Priory of the Annunciation. Other visits as time permits: Rue de Bac (Miraculous medal of St. Catherine Labouré), the Carmelite Church, St. Denis. Farwell dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Paris.

Day 10: Paris/USA
After breakfast, transfer to Paris airport and depart for New York.